Wardrobe tray



p 1941- J. H. PLOTKIN 2,254,543

' WARDROBE TRAY Filed Nov. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 2, 1941. J.H. PLOTKIN WARDROBE TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 18, 1939 "Ill WNW.

Patented Sept. 2, 1941 ili i WARBRGEE TRAY Joseph H. Plothin, Chicago,IlL, assignor to S. Dresner & Son, End, Chicago, Ill a corporation ofllilinois Application November 2 Claims.

My present invention relates to a tray, applicable to luggage, which'isequipped with a wardrobe fixtur of improved characten- Moreparticularly, the present invention is directed to the mounting for thewardrobe fixture within the tray, and to provide for the readyaccommodation of garments which are to be folded and packed in such atray, whether or not the tray remains in the luggage intended forits'accommodation. The parts which enter into the construction,hereinafter to be described, are simple, inexpensive, easily assembled,and may be oprated without liability of breakage.

Asuggestive embodiment of ti is invention is set forth in theaccompanying drawings, where Figure 1 is a perspective View of a luggagecase with its cover opened up to exhibit the wardrobe tray, the clothessupporting rack being shown as swung to an upper or'vertical position; I

Fig. 2 is'a top plan View of the wardrobe tray, the clothes supportingrack being shown as lying fiatwise within the tray;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on line .-'i3 of Fig. 2, showing therack swung to an upper or Fig. 6 which is a detail in section shows athird position of the rack;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a second form of mounting for theclothes supporting rack;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are vertical sections taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7,theracl: being shown in three different positions;

Fig. 11 is a perspective View of a further modifled form of mounting forthe clothes'supporting rack; and

Figs. l2, l3 and 1e are details in section on line ii-H of Fig, 11, therack being shown in a different position in each.

The clothes supporting rack or" my invention is shown in connection witha luggage case hav-- ing a body 13, to which is hinged a cover C.Adapted to fit within the case body is a wardrobe tray T, preferablyresting. on a support (not shown) in an elevated position above itsbottom. The case may be equipped with the usual carrying handle as andlatches 2i bywhich it is main tained releasably in locked condition. Thetray comprises a bottom end walls 23, a back wall 25, and, ifdesired, alow front wall 25. The tray may optionally be" equipped adjacent itsback wall is, ieeajs'eriai No. states (Cl. rea -n) with a vertical post26 on which are slidably fitted clothes hangers 21. A strap 28 toholdgarments securely in place may also be arranged across the tray, asshown.

I equip each tray with a clothes supporting rack R which may comprise afabric covering 36 carried upon a suitable frame having two parallelbars st of spring metal extended therefrom,

one at each end in proximity to the end walls of the tray. This rack isadapted to lie flat within the tray (see Fig. 2), or-to be swung throughan arc of slightly more than 99 to a position past ertical where it mayrest against the top edge of thebacl: wall of the tray, thus serving inboth positions as a convenient means for supporting clothes, whether thetray be removed from the luggage case or not (see Fig. 3).

The means of rotatively and removably mounting the rack R within thetray T which I here disclose are as follows:

The ends of the bars 35 are equipped with short oppositely extendedtrunnions in the form of pins ie the free ends of which are formed witheccentric enlargements providing heads in the forms of lugs ll. Th bars,being of spring metal, serve to force the trunnions outwardly and thusto keep them in place within the mountings which may be of several kindsas will now be explained.

In the first place (see Figs. l-6), each mounting may comprise aU-shaped strap 12, as of metal, having outturned feet adapted tobesecured'to the end walls 23 of the tray at points near their juncturewith the back wall 24. Each strap is equipped with an elongatedverticalslot 33 adapted to receive one trunnion 32?, which is ofsubstantially the same diameter as the slot.

Theeccentric'lugs iii of the pins prevent the removal of the trunnionsfrom the strap mountings ii until the rack is so positioned that thelugs are disposed longitudinally of the slots. Then, when inwardpressure is exerted on the ends oi'the bars, the trunnions may bedisengaged from the mountings. I prefer that this removal be madepossible when the rack is in 'a substantially vertical position only.Thus when the lies horizontally in the tray (see Fig.4) or leans backagainst the back wall 2 of the tray (see Fig. 5), there is no dan -er ofthe rack becoming disengaged.

' Second (see Figs. 740), the mounting may comprise a metallic platebent to provide an angular enclosure having side walls 45 and, at andtop and bottom ends t! and it, respectively. Extended from the'side wall46 is a flange is adapted to" rest against the tray back :wall

24 to which it may be secured as by means of rivets 50. When sopositioned with the free edge of the side wall 45 adjacent the proximateend wall of the tray, the interior of the mounting is completelyenclosed. This. is advantageous in that small articles are preventedfrom entering within the mounting (see Fig. 7). In the central side wall46 of this mounting is a long vertical slot widened into a circularshape 52 at one point, preferably near the center. The trunnions 40 whenpositioned within these slots are free to slide up and down therein toaccommodate a greater or lesser amount of clothing which may be drapedupon the supporting rack, the rack being free to rotate in every suchposition (see Figs. 7, 8 and 9). The trunnion heads may enter or leavethe slots when the rack is swung to the vertical position, the same asin the case of the mounting last described, or this operation may takeplace when the rack is elevated (or depressed) to the point that itstrunnions lie within the widened circular portion of the slot,permitting the trunnion heads to pass therethrough for disengagementtherefrom in response to an inward pressing of the bars 3|.

A third modification of my mounting is illustrated in Figs. 11-14 whereI have shown a metal strap 55 bent outwardly at the top and inwardly atthe bottom to provide a head 56 and foot 51, respectively. In the footare holes through which rivets 58 are placed so that the mounting may besecurely fixed to the bottom of the tray at a point near the cornersformed by its ends and back. The head rests at one edge against theproximate end wall 23 of the tray, and thus serves to provide adequatespace for the sliding movement of the pin and lug. In the strap isformed a long, narrow slot 59 having at one point in its length awidened portion 60, but the width of this slot is desirably less thanthe narrowest dimension of the eccentric head on the trunnion enteredtherein. In consequence, the rack may be mounted or demounted only whenits trunnions occupy positions opposite or within the widened slotportion 60 (see Figs. 12 13 and 14).

The many advantageous features of my invention will be readily apparent.Inuse the rack conveniently removed from the tray when swung to asubstantially vertical position, wherein the lugs are disposedlongitudinally of the slots, or when lifted to the point where the lugsare free to pass through the circular enlargement wherever this may belocated lengthwise of the slot I claim:

1. Means for pivotally mounting a clothes supporting rack in a luggagetray to permit the rack to swing into and out of the tray and to bearranged in an upwardly extending inclined supporting position againstthe rear wall of the tray whether ornot the tray is within a suitcase orother piece of luggage, said means including a pair of oppositelyextending trunnions having means for mounting them on a rack in alaterally progecting position, each trunnion being formed at its outerend with an eccentric enlargement, a pair of mountings secured to thetray adjacent the end Walls thereof, each adapted for cooperation withone of the rack trunnions and there being in each mounting a slot havinga width substantially the same as the diameter of the associatedtrunnion and of a somewhat greater length whereby to provide a pivotedand sliding Connection between the rack and the tray to permit saidmovements of the clothes supporting rack and an automatic adjustment ofthe rack to accommodate a greater or lesser amount of clothes, theeccentric enlargements of the trunnions occupying positions along sidefaces of the mountings remote from the rack and preventin inwardmovement of the trunnions with consequent disengagement of the rackexcept when the eccentric enlargements are disposed lengthwise of themounting slots and permitting such inward movement of the trunnions withconsequent disengagement and removal of the rack when the eccentricenlargements are disposed lengthwise of the mounting slots, the rackwhen is swung upwardly to its upright position, and

trousers are then laid in the tray, the legs extending beyond the endsof the tray, and a coat and vest which are draped over a hanger may thenbe laid over the trousers. With the hanger positioned on the post therack is then swung W Two or more suits may be accommodated within thetray, depending upon its depth, additional hangers being used as needed.

' The tray, together with the "draped garments therein, may be liftedfrom the case in its entirety whenever it is desired to have access toits other contents or for any other reason. Be-

cause of the new feature of support given to the rack whenswung to itsupward position, it serves equally well as a clothes support whether thetray is in or out of the case. And while the rack cannot comeoutaccidentally,it may be supported by the mountings being free to swingfrom a flat-wise position within the tray through more than to arearwardly and upwardly inclined position of rest against the top edgeof the back wall of the tray, and the mounting slots being disposed atevery point throughout their length below and forward of said top edgeof the back wall ofthe tray and in spaced relation to the same asuificient distance to cause the trunnion supports for the rack tocooperate with the back wall of the tray to provide a stop againstswinging movement of the rack more than a predetermined distance pastthe vertical and also support the rack in said inclined supportingposition.

2. Means for pivotally mounting a clothes supporting rack in a luggagetray to permit the rack to swing into and out of the tray and to bearranged in an upwardly extending inclined sup porting position againstthe rear wall of the tray whether or not the tray is within a suitcaseor other piece of luggage, said means including a pair of oppositelyextending trunnions having means for mounting them on a rack in alaterally projecting position, each trunnion being formed at its outerend with an eccentric enlargement, a pair of mountings secured to thetray adjacent the end walls thereof each adapted for cooperation withone of the rack trunnions, there being in each mounting a slot closed atboth ends and having a width throughout the major portion of, the lengthsubstantially the same as the diameter of the associated trunnion and asomewhat greater length whereby to provide a pivoted and slidingconnection between the rack and the tray and an automatic adjustinent ofthe rack to accommodate a greater or lesser amount of clothes, therebeing at one point in each slot a widened portion, the eccentricenlargement on the trunnions occupying positions along side faces of themounting remote from the bars whereon the trunnions are carried andpreventing inward springing of such bars with consequent disengagementof the rack except when the concentric enlargements are disposedlengthwise of the mounting slots or lie within the widened portions ofsuch slots and. permittin such inward springing of the bars withconsequent disengagement and removal of the rack only when the eccentricenlargements are disposed lengthwise of the mounting slots or lie withinthe widened portions of such slots, the rack when supported by themountings being free to swing from a fiatwise position within the traythrough more than 90 to a position of rest against the top edge of theback wall of the tray and the mounting slots being disposed at everypoint throughout their lengths below and forward of such top edges ofthe tray back wall, whereby to permit the trunnion supports for the rackto cooperate with the back wall of the tray to provide a stop againstswinging movement of the rack more than a predetermined distance pastthe vertical and for also supporting the rack in said upwardly andrearwardly inclined position, said trunnions being removable from saidslots only at an intermediate point between both the sliding and pivotalmovements of the rack.

JOSEPH H. PLOTKIN.

